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Police investigated after Mr Blackburne's family alleged the flat had been tidied to destroy evidence following the tragedy - but found no foul play.

Mr Blackburne, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was described as a "caring and compassionate" son who had attended Hale Preparatory school and the £9,000-a-year Cheadle Hulme School before enrolling at university.

His mother, Colette Blackburne, 63, told the Stockport inquest: "He was the life and soul of the party, no matter how dark things were he'd always bounce back. He was just a good boy who got into the wrong place. He went to Hale Preparatory School and after his death his headmaster sent a beautiful letter to us about the kind of student he was.

"He started to drink when he earned money and had a very addictive personality. He also had a problem with gambling, which initially he was a whiz at. He had huge successes with gambling at first, he was in the top three at the world poker championship.

"He got into debt around nine years ago and it continued until recently but to a much lesser degree. I did pay off a substantial amount of debts for it which I would say relieved the pressure.

"Elliott knew my views on drugs and I had a suspicion that he may have taken drugs in the past - but I would not associate him as someone to use stronger substances such as cocaine or heroin. He was socialising with old school friends, people he met in the pub - he always wanted to be a social butterfly."

Recalling the tragedy on December 13, 2017, she said: "Elliot's girlfriend Kirsty rang me and said I can't get hold of him, so she said she'd arrange a group message. She got a text from someone at 3.35pm so say it's not good news.

"When I got there I found it very strange that the arm of the sofa was broken off, the flat was unusually clean and all clothes were packed up. It had obviously been cleaned for our benefit. The position of my son on the floor was prudent to having been dragged.

"The TV was in a cardboard box and there were four ski bags on the bag completely full. In my mind I feel he was going to go and say that Elliott was alive when he left and had gone to spend Christmas with his family. Who had supplied that amount of heroin to my son?"

Mr Blackburne "always wanted to be a social butterfly", his mum says (Image: Elliott Blackburne/Cavendish Press)

In a statement, Mr Blackburne's partner, Kirsty Gallagher, said: "We suspected that George had covered up what had happened. Since Elliott's death, George has given strange and inconsistent accounts of what happened.

"I believe George had given Elliott the drugs and had panicked and was going to leave Elliott in the flat. I believe George panicked and left Elliott for a while before he decided what to do, I believe his family had been called early in the day to help clean up the flat and cover up what had happened. I want to get the phone records of George and his family. We just want to know the truth.".

Mr Booth, from Sale, denied witnessing Mr Blackburne take any drugs and claimed to have no knowledge about foil that was found under his bed.

He told the hearing: "I met him a few weeks before the incident, he was good friends with a friend of mine and we drank in the same pub. His mate asked me if there was any chance he could get his head down in my spare room.

"It was the Saturday night on 9 December we'd had a few drinks and gone back to the flat at about 12 or 1 o'clock. We stayed up for a bit of a chit chat and stuff but I wanted to go to the match the next day.

"I saw him on the Tuesday on the evening time and he asked if he could get his head down at mine. I didn't want it to start developing into long-term - but we went back to the flat at about midnight again.

"We had a bottle of wine back at the flat. I heard him get up in the middle of the night for a water and then the next day, I woke up late afternoon and heard his phone going. I'd not jumped up because I didn't know why he wouldn't want to answer his phone.

"I saw him on the bed in a funny position and I just knew. I touched him and he was cold as ice. He was clothed. I phoned up the paramedics immediately. They told me to get him on the floor and administer CPR, but he was a strong lad.

"I was in a state of total shock. I phoned up our friend and phoned my family up, before you know it there was a few people around. I think it was a tragic accident that happened. I tried my hardest for the lad and put him up."

Mr Blackburne was found dead just over a week before Christmas (Image: Elliott Blackburne/Cavendish Press)

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He added: "I'd had parties before and I don't know who put (the foil) there. I'm a party guy. I've used substances in the past but it is irrelevant to what's happened here."

Det Sgt Matthew Gregory said: "Elliott was in the spare room on the floor but we did not find anything that concerned us on his body. We found a small snap bag, which from experience, controlled drugs are normally supplied in.

"That was empty other than trace remnants, that was found under the bed of George Booth. It may have been consistent to brown powder which may have been heroin. There was no foil found under the spare bed but there were pieces of foil that had burn marks on them - usually in the burning of heroin.

"I did not find any evidence of any third party involvement or suspicious circumstances. The bags with some clothing in struck me as being there for some time. I did not get the impression that the house was packed up - the flat being really clean was not particularly the impression I got, there was a bottle of wine on the side in the kitchen."

Det Insp Terry Chatterton added: "Mr Booth had sent a message to a male in Hong Kong saying that they had gone to bed and Elliott had fallen asleep on the sofa.

"He had been in WhatsApp contact with a friend in Hong Kong saying 'I can't believe what had happened to Elliott'. I concluded that our investigation was very thorough and remain satisfied that there was no third party involvement or any suspicious circumstances in his death."

Recording a conclusion of a drug-related death, coroner Chris Morris said: "This is a tragic case with Mr Blackburne being a much-loved son who had many positive attributes. but I am satisfied that he was a user of elicit drugs.

"Mr Blackburne returned to Mr Booth's flat in Sale to spent the night there as favour. Mr Booth's account was that although alcohol was consumed, he neither took himself that night or did he witness Mr Blackburne taking any elicit drugs.

"I did not find him to be a wholly reliable witness, particularly with regards to whether any drugs were consumed. But there is no evidence to suggest the substances were forced upon Mr Blackburne."